A Chance Encounter: Music's Edition
by KeyBlader99
Summary: Music gave me something when I needed it most. A second chance. Because of it, I've met Neku, Beat, Rhyme, and you. And I can't ask for anything better. I just wish she were here... Y'know, it's funny. You look exactly like her. Except for the hair, of course. You would've loved being around her. I know I did.
1. Chapter 1

**Music for your enjoyment: watch?v=J8c9vnEKzMM**

**Character List**

Sora Hikari- Age 17

Description- Music manager along with Rhyme and Beat. He doesn't seem to talk a lot, after watching his girlfriend get killed right in front of his eyes. His smile only appears when playing music. Other times, the grin is half-hearted or fake.

Past- His past was never too happy, and he never lets out a word of it.

Hair appearance 1- Brown and juts out to the sides.

Hair appearance 2- Lighter brown, longer, and juts out to the sides and the top.

Hair appearance 3- Brown, as long as Hair appearance 2, and juts out to the sides and the upper right.

Eye color- Sky blue and a sad look behind them.

Appearance- Light skinned with a rather well developed build.

Standard attire- A red shirt with matching baggy capris that stop just below the knee. Wears a black jacket with a blue hood, and signature "Sora Gloves." Also wears a blue belt. Works with Hair Appearance 1.

Alternative outfit 1- Black baggy capris with white stripes sticking out near the middle of the leggings. Blue-black shirt that has a triangle formed by a red color at the middle of the bottom. Shirt is split with a white stripe. Supplied with black jacket with white hood and belt that holds two bags. Also wears signature "Sora Gloves 2." Works with Hair Appearance 2.

Alternative outfit 2- Red baggy capris with white stripes sticking out in the lower middle of the leggings. Below the stripes is colored black. Where a secure blue and black belt around the waist. Wears a black shirt with a white X in the middle, supplied with a gray jacket with black stripes, red tipped sleeves, and a bigger red hood. Works with Hair Appearance 3.

Music managing outfit- Blue T shirt with a thick gray stripe running down the middle. Supplied with tan pants and a loose blue and gray belt. Also wears a white jacket with a red hood.

Dream- To rid himself of the ghost of his dead girlfriend and move on.

Neku Sakuraba- Age 16

Description- Other music manager with Rhyme, Beat, and Sora. He talks a lot, and is upbeat about lots of things. He sees the world as a place where anything can happen. He sticks up for his friends no matter what kind of situation it is. He is also Sora's best friend.

Past- He is rather quiet when it comes to telling his story of the past.

Hair appearance- Spiky orange hair in a unique "Neku" hairstyle

Eye color- Blue with a mischievous glint within.

Appearance- Light skinned and tall and slender.

Outfit- Always has signature indigo headphones on. Wears a sleeveless shirt with a funnel-shaped collar and an indigo stripe outlined with gold going down the middle. Also wears a yellow sweatband on his left arm, and white shorts held up by a loose-fitting belt. Wears black shoes with an indigo stripe outlined in gold, similar to the color and style of the shirt. Also wears MP3 player around his neck.

Dream- To be able to escape from his past and live in peace.

Rhyme Bito- Age 16

Description- Happy go lucky and amazing at creating, remixing, and playing music. Almost always wearing a smile on her face, Rhyme knows how to comfort anyone. In any situation, she plays music to fit the scene, whether it be her own or someone else's. Her brother is called Beat. Rhyme's real name is Raimu.

Past- Her past is surprisingly dark for someone like her.

Hair appearance- Flat blond hair above the shoulders, covered with a black beanie with a small skull on it. On Rhyme, it looks cute.

Eye color- Turquoise gray with a happy light inside.

Appearance- Light skinned, developing womanhood, and that "adorable" factor to her face.

Outfit- Slightly oversized orange sweater with a black skull and crossbones on it. Wears white shorts and an unfilled white fanny pack. She also has a faint gold-brown necklace with a bell at the end.

Dream- To make music.

Beat Bito- Age 18

Description- Tough and athletic, Beat is the master of... well, beat. He can create a beat with anything: trash cans, concrete blocks, bricks, whatever you got. His hobby is to skateboard. Although seemingly carefree, Beat never lets anyone hurt his sister Rhyme or anyone he cares for. He tends to not get involved with strangers' problems, unless it involves Rhyme, Neku, or Sora. Especially Rhyme. Beat's real name is Daisukenojo.

Past- Beat shares the same past as Rhyme, and tries to look toward the future.

Hair appearance- Shoulder length blond with black skull beanie like Rhyme's. Beat looks cool in it.

Eye color- Dark gray with a happy light within.

Appearance- Muscular, tall, and light skinned.

Outfit- White tank top with orange outlines and a chain skull necklace. Wears tan shorts with multiple pockets.

Dream- To skateboard and become the greatest at it.

Shiki Misaki- Age 16

Description- Cheerful and fashionable, Shiki is a master designer and artist in terms of songs. She never let's anyone down, but can have quite the temper when you annoy her. She and Neku were once in a relationship, but she dumped him for unknown reasons.

Past- A standard childhood, but she seems to hide something whenever she is asked about it.

Hair appearance- Reddish brown hair that is concealed by a brown cap with dirty white stripes running across the middle.

Eye color- Chocolate brown with a kind light inside.

Appearance- Slender, light skinned, with well developed womanhood.

Outfit- Consists of a red short sleeved shirt that exposes a very large portion of her midriff. Over this she wears a short yellow hoodie. She wears a necklace around her neck with a puzzle piece-shaped pendant. She is in a low-cut green colored denim skirt with a brown pouch around her waist. She also wears a yellow bracelet on her left wrist accompanied with a ring on her pinkie finger, and almost knee-length brown medium heeled boots with yellow stripes on the sides.

**Prologue**

_The pair had been walking down in the older part of Traverse Town on that fateful night. The brunette and the blond._

_"Sora, whaddya wanna do?" the blond asked._

_"I dunno. Anything in mind?" Sora asked._

_That's when they were attacked. Poor Sora had only been 14 at the time. He was tackled to the ground, and his girlfriend put in a choke hold with a knife to her neck. He struggled, but couldn't even move. Sora felt very tense. He could hear his breath. In. Out. In. Out. The night was cold, so he could see it. Then a scream pulled him out of his thoughts. He watched in horror as his girlfriend fell to the floor, blood spilling from her neck._

_"NO!" Sora yelled._

_His dearly beloved was dead before she even hit the floor. Sora was released, and he bolted for her body. He held her, sobbing uncontrollably._

_"NAMINE!" He yelled to the sky._

_**Two years later**  
_

_Sora had come across a big building, labeled "Dynamia Music."_

_"Funny name..." he muttered, noticing the "Help Wanted" sign._

_He entered, and was welcomed by an redhead girl._

_"Hello! What can I do for you today?" she asked happily._

_"Um, I saw the 'Help Wanted' sign, so..." he said, a bit startled at her cheery personality._

_She smiled at him. "Well, follow me then."_

_Sora followed her down a brown themed hallway._

_"So, do you have any experience with music?" she asked._

_"Yes. I've loved it for as long as I can remember," Sora replied. "Um, what should I call you?"_

_She stopped, and turned to him. "Oh! Sorry, my name's Shiki Misaki!"_

_She extended her hand, and Sora shook it. They continued walking, and Shiki opened a door labeled "Music Room."_

_"Hey, guys! I found someone new!" she called out, and three people walked over._

_"Hi. I'm Sora," Sora said quietly._

_"I'm Neku!" the orange haired teen said excitedly._

_"Rhyme!" the blond girl teen said._

_"Beat!" the blond boy teen said, pounding his chest._

_Shiki smiled at them._

_"So, what kinda music do you work with?" Neku asked, fingering his MP3 player._

_Sora shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "All kinds. Dubstep, rock, pop, 80s, et cetera..."_

_Neku grinned. "All right, you're in! Shiki, dear, would you please give our new member the tour?"_

_Shiki smiled at Neku. "No. You're gonna do that."_

_Neku's grin faded. "Wha? Why won't you?"_

_Shiki stood in front of him. Sora was aware of how close she was to Neku's face. He turned to Rhyme and Beat, and motioned them to turn around. They did so._

_"Because, it's your turn," he heard Shiki say._

_"But I don't wanna! I have-" Neku was cut off._

_Sora glanced over his shoulder to see Neku and Shiki kissing. He turned around, feeling tears build up in his eyes. But he recovered. He looked at Rhyme, who was glaring out the window._

_**One year later**  
_

_Neku was curled up in the corner, sobbing._

_"Hey, whas' wrong?" Sora asked him._

_"Sh-Shiki... she's quit..." he said._

_Rhyme and Beat gasped. "What!?"_

_"Why?" Beat asked._

_Neku looked at the others. "She wanted to pursue fashion... And... S-she..."_

_Neku wailed._

_"I guess they're through..." Sora said sadly._


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's a new story! It's half inspired by "She Can Move" by Miss Ashlynn. Did I spell that right? I dunno. But enough talk. Let's read!**

The orange head and the brunette sat in the DJ box. Above them was the square white cover. The orange head turned to the brunette.

"Ready, Sora?" the boy asked.

"Ready, Neku," Sora answered.

Neku took out a microphone. He turned to the crowd, who gathered around in a circle, showing two small groups. One of girls, the other of guys. The girl group was on the left, and it composed of a redhead, a blackhead, and a bluenette. The boy group on the right was made of a blond boy, a brunette, and a dirty blond haired kid.

The blond boy's hair was rather long, and had curls here and there. He wore a white T shirt with slick gray pants that he could easily maneuver in.

The brunette boy had a tight brown muscle shirt, and baggy tan pants.

The dirty blond's hair was spiked so that it went to the right. He had a loose black shirt and a pale tan jacket. The checker marks on it surrounded the shoulder and the middle of the jacket.

The redhead girl's hair was below shoulder length. She had a white tank top on with black outlines. She was wearing light purple shorts that she was comfortable in. She also had a sleeveless pink hoodie on.

The blackhead girl's hair was above her shoulder, and it hung in bangs. The blackhead wore a black tank top, and had a multiple pocketed pair of black pants.

The blunette's hair at shoulder length, hanging behind her face. She seemed a bit older than her fellow members. She wore a gray tank top, and flowing white pants. Neku and his friends noticed lots of the guys staring particularly at her.

Neku tapped the microphone. "Is this thing on?"

Silence from the crowd. Neku sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I said... IS THIS THING ON!?" he said, and the crowd cheered loudly.

The orangehead grinned. "That's better. Today's feature is... A DANCE OFF!"

More cheers. Sora was wincing. He was so close to the DJ board, and he wanted to start the music.

"To my left, the strong, the beautful, the DANCERS OF HEART!" Neku shouted.

They got cheers. Mostly from guys.

"To my right, the jocks, the 'dream boys,' the MASTA DANSAS!" Neku yelled.

Cheers mostly from fangirls.

"Music provided by the Dynamic DJs, Rhyme and Beat!" Neku announced, pointing to the brother and sister next to Sora.

"The amazing DJ is Sora!" Neku said, pointing at Sora, who waved.

"PS, ladies, he's single," he added, causing squeals of delight from the girls.

Sora rolled his eyes. Neku just grinned at him. Sora got a look at the redhead, and realized her eerie resemblance to his dead girlfriend. The black haired girl did too, but he felt... _drawn_ to the redhead. He turned away, mentally smacking himself.

"For music, we're remixing some classics! Here's a remix of Pokemon Trainer Red's BATTLE THEME! You have three minutes to show off, btw!" Neku yelled.

**Pokemon Trainer Red Battle Theme Epic Remix on YouTube: watch?v=buifCKc9RNU**

The crowd went silent, staring at the dancers. The music matched the silence. Neku waited for the better part of the music to start. Sora put his headphones on, listening with focus. Neku nodded head, then the better part started.

"BEGIN!" he yelled.

The blunette did a round off and a backflip. The blackhead did a pop up and a front flip. The redhead did a no handed cartwheel, finishing with a front flip one eighty. She walked back with her back to the Masta Dansas coolly. Neku was next to Sora now.

"That's a brave one," he said.

"Can't remember her name, man," Beat said, thinking.

"Her name's Kairi," Rhyme said.

"Now the boys are gonna dance," Sora said.

The blond boy break danced, and popped up using only his hands and did a backflip when he did.

"Only one person in the world knows that move..." Neku said, an angry tone in his voice.

Rhyme was noticeably blushing. Sora had never seen Rhyme do that, and was curious about the blond boy suddenly. The brunette did a back handspring, and a multiple twisting backflip. The girls had their arms crossed, rolling their eyes. The dirty blond back handspringed, landed on the brunette's hands, and sprung off, landing on his feet on the blond's hands, which were raised above his head.

"TIME!" Neku yelled, more in anger than excitement.

All sound was cut off. Plus the music.

"Shout out for the Dancers of Heart!" Neku said.

Lots of cheers. Sora raised his left hand to his chin.

"Shout out for the Masta Dansas!" Neku said, a bit shaky.

A big amount of cheers. Sora's right hand went to the tip of his biggest spike on his hair.

"So the MASTA DANSAS WIN! See ya next time!" Neku said.

The entire crowd walked off except the dancers, who were talking and socializing. Sora and his friends decided to join them. Sora lagged behind, not being the social type. Beat went first.

"Congratulations, Dansas," he said.

The curly blond grinned. "Thanks."

"Y'know, we never got to learn you guys' names. I'm Beat."

"I'm Joshua," the curly blond said.

"I'm Terra," the brunette said.

"Roxas," the dirty blond said.

"Kairi," Kairi said.

"Xion..." the blackhead muttered.

"Aqua's the name," the bluenette said proudly.

"I-I'm R-Rhyme..." Rhyme said, blushing.

"I'm Beat, that's Neku, and there's Sora, man," Beat said.

Joshua glared at Neku. "Neku and I have met."

Neku glared back. "We've met... elsewhere."

"So... How is Shiki?" Joshua asked stiffly.

"We broke up," Neku said, wincing.

Sora, a couple feet behind the group, was listening with interest. He knew Neku and Shiki broke up a month ago (Shiki actually dumped the guy), and how torn up Neku was afterwards. But he moved on. That's why Sora was envious of his friend. Sora couldn't move on; He had never met anyone like _her_. Sora felt small tears cling to his eyelashes. He heard Joshua smirk.

"I see," he said coldy, a devious grin on his face.

Neku said nothing, and walked back to the DJ box to pack up his stuff. Joshua still had that grin on his face. He patted Beat's back, and kissed Rhyme's hand. Rhyme's face was an unbelievably scarlet color.

"I'll see you guys around," he said simply, walking off.

The other dancers also walked off in different directions. Sora noticed Neku grumbling as he stuffed his stuff into his yellow-striped indigo bag.

"Stupid Joshua... How could you come back..." Sora caught him saying.

Rhyme and Beat then stood on either side of Sora, and Neku shouldered his bag.

"Let's go..." he mumbled.

The four walked in silence. Beat broke it.

"So, Rhyme..." he began.

"Yes?" she asked, turning to her brother.

"You seem... interested in Joshua," Sora said, managing a small smile.

Rhyme's face instantly turned as red as a tomato. Beat began laughing. Neku just ignored his friends; he was listening to his MP3 player. Sora dragged an oblivious Neku to their house while Beat and Rhyme went into theirs. Beat continued teasing Rhyme while Neku and Sora were doing their own thing at their house.

A couple hours later, Sora opened the bathroom door, and turned white. There was Neku sitting butt naked on the toilet, reading Dragon Ball. Thankfully the manga covered his waist area. Neku looked up.

"Do you mind, good sir?" he asked, unfazed.

Sora shrieked, slamming the door closed.


	3. Chapter 3

Neku was happily enjoying his cereal, reading Naruto manga. He noticed Rhyme come in. Both people had keys to the other's house, so Neku wasn't surprised.

"Hey, Rhyme, whatcha need?" he asked.

Rhyme sat down. "I was wondering if you could tell me about someone..."

Neku spooned cereal into his mouth. "Really? Who is it?"

Rhyme took a deep breath. "Please, don't be mad... But it's Joshua."

Neku slammed his Naruto book on the table. "Is this because you... love him?"

Rhyme nodded, face pink "Y-Yes... You seem to know him best, so I figured I'd ask..."

Neku sighed. "Rhyme, you have no chance with him. His heart's already been stolen by someone we both know."

It was Rhyme's turn to sigh. "Curse my ignorance... It's Shiki, right...?"

Neku nodded. "If Shiki moved out of the way, say she moved or died or something, then you'd have Joshua all to yourself. You're his 'backup,' I should say."

Rhyme nodded just as Sora came down and threw a letter at Neku. It hit him square in the forehead. He tore open the letter, shooting a glare at his brunette friend.

"... Why didn't you text me..." he mumbled, reading through the letter.

_Dear Neku,_

_You might think it's weird that I'm writing to you instead of texting you. Well, it's because this is important. I want to apologize for..._

Neku immediately crumpled up the letter and ran outside. Sora picked it up and read the rest aloud.

"_I want to apologize for the pain I caused you. By now you've gone to your comfort zone, and Sora's reading this aloud with Rhyme in the room. Sora, please don't look for him. I want to talk to Neku alone. Tell Beat and Rhyme the same thing I told you. Don't look for Neku.__  
_

_Lots of love to you all,_

_Shiki Misaki," _he finished.

Beat burst into the room. "We gotta find Neku!"

Sora gave Beat the letter, and Beat read it. He nodded.

"That woman is _clever_," he said, whistling.

"What should we do now?" Rhyme asked.

Sora shrugged, and was about to say something. Then something, no, some_one_, made him stop.

He didn't know how, or why, but the ghost of Namine was standing right at Sora's doorstep. He walked towards her, and she began walking away, beckoning Sora to follow.

"Come, we need to talk," she said.

Sora gulped. Rhyme and Beat were confused. They couldn't see Namine.

"Um, I'll be back," he said, running off towards his dead girlfriend's ghost.

* transition*

Neku finally reached the top of the Twilight Town Clock Tower. He pulled out his headphone jack from his MP3 player, cranked the volume up to max, and played his extended "Endless Sorrow."

**Endless Sorrow on YouTube: watch?v=O73RYjUElZQ **

Neku sat at the edge of the tower. He had never ceased being amazed at how Twilight Town captured its sun in the perfect sunset.

"I knew you'd be here," a voice said from behind.

Neku turned, and saw Shiki sit next to him. He wanted to leave, but he felt something making him stay. Shiki turned to him.

"Your music is really pretty," she said, smiling.

Neku stood, and turned his back on her. No one had ever called his music "pretty." He was a bit shocked. But he remembered. This was Shiki he was talking to. He instantly steeled himself.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?" was her reply.

"Dump me. Break me. Destroy my heart."

"Neku, when you put it like that..."

"Shut up! It was like that!" he yelled, turning to her.

"NO! You don't understand! Someone promised me my dream! How could I not refuse?" she yelled back.

"So that's what it was about!? Your dream? I spent all this time pondering why you dumped me, and THAT'S IT!? You dumped me for your own STUPID GAIN!? Pitiful..."

The two were silent at once. Neku suddenly began sobbing, months of Endless Sorrow pouring out. Shiki put her finger to his lips.

"Don't cry... That's all in the past..." she whispered, making Neku feel a bit better. "Don't think I'll abandon you a second time, okay?"

Neku made a watery smile.

*transition*

Sora gasped when Namine stopped. She had led them to where she died. Sora immediately felt tears rush to his eyes. Namine smiled, and brushed them away. To Sora, it felt like a cool breeze with Namine's soft touch.

"Don't cry... Please, don't," she said.

Sora's tears stopped suddenly. Then he saw she had placed her paopu fruit charm necklace in his hands.

"Find the one you gave this to," Namine said.

"I gave it to you!" Sora said.

Namine shook her head. "You did, but there was another one you gave to someone else. You forgot her the moment you laid eyes on me, and I feel guilty about that."

Sora was confused. "Someone else?"

Namine smiled. "I don't know. But I'm doing this for you. Sora, love, you _have_ to move on. You can't just pace around in the past, you have to look forward to the future! You need to realize that you can't help me, and you need to love again!"

Sora was shocked at the words coming from Namine. "Move on? How?"

Namine sighed. "Find someone you can truly love. Someone who will care for you. The girl worth saving. The girl worth dancing with."

Sora perked up at "dancing." Something told him that she was a dancer. He thought back to yesterday. The redhead...

_What was her name again...?_ he thought to himself.

He then saw Namine disappearing in a flurry of white sparkles.

"Find her," were the last words she spoke before fading completely.

"I will," Sora said to where Namine once stood.

"I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I'm back to writing this! I'm putting in Dream Drop Distance abilities, so be prepared and identify them if you haven't played the game!**

Sora had a dream that night. A strange one too. This dream had been reoccurring recently, and he didn't understand.

* * *

**Ven theme: watch?v=GFDvcR7Ozbg**

It was always the same thing. He was a little boy again, and was standing on some stained glass circle of some sort. It was decorated with ocean blue, a palm tree on a small sand island, and a paopu fruit coming out. Only darkness surrounded the circle. He called out for no reason.

"Hey! Can you hear me?"

He saw a small ball of light come towards him, leaving a trail of sparkles.

"I heard your voice. It cut through the darkness around me. So I followed the voice, and found myself here, with you," it said, floating into Sora's extended arms.

"Who are you?" Sora asked.

"I... I don't really know. All I know is that I'm... supposed to go to sleep again," the light said sadly.

Sora frowned. "Are you sad?"

"Well, yes..." it said. It bounced around for a while, like it was excited.

"Is it okay... if I stay here, with you?" the light asked hopefully.

The small boy smiled. "Of course! If it'll make you feel better!"

"Thank you," it said, and slowly moved to Sora's chest, fading into it.

Sora sighed. The area around him rippled, and he was standing on sand. He turned and saw a silver haired boy a bit older than him with deep cerulean eyes. He had a half zip up sleeveless jacket and black shorts.

"Well?" he asked expectantly.

"Y'know, Riku, I think it worked," Sora said, tucking his hands behind his flat spiky hair.

The two stared at the stars, which were supposed "other worlds." Sora grinned, and Riku said nothing as a comet flew by. A light blue comet, with a touch of green to it.

* * *

Sora jolted awake.

"Another dream..." he muttered.

He threw on his alternate outfit (the black one) and walked to his garage. He fished out his keys, and unlocked his car. A nice Prius C. He drove down to the music studio, where Beat was there, arms crossed.

"Dude, where's Neku?" Sora asked, looking around.

"He's inside. Hitched a ride from Shiki while he let you sleep," was the reply.

"Neku was up before me? Why?" Sora asked, surprised.

"Meeting involving you and... other stuff, bro," Beat said seriously.

Sora went inside, and saw the whole group staring at him seriously. Neku had his arms crossed, Shiki was hugging Mr. Mew, the stuffed animal, tightly to her chest, and Rhyme was just standing.

"We got a call from the boss," Rhyme said.

"He wants you to join us," Neku said.

"Join you? Y'mean I was never part of this place?" Sora asked, slightly pissed.

"No. We're talking about the group known as the Chosen Lights," Rhyme said.

"We hired you because we heard you had a gift, yo. A rare gift. A gift that gave you the ability to wield something known as the Keyblade, yo," Beat said.

Sora winced at the last word. Keyblade.

"The Chosen Ones fight to keep evil at bay. It requires bravery and all your capabilities. So, are you willing to join?" Neku asked, extending a hand.

Sora took a few steps back. "You don't want me to join..."

Rhyme frowned. "Of course we do! You're our friend, and we want to fight alongside you!"

Sora shook his head. "I'm not ready to face my past..."

Neku's gaze hardened. "Your past?"

"It's too painful... And it's all because of that stupid Keyblade..."

Neku walked to his friend, and placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"That's what I thought too. I wasn't ready to face my past either. But you don't have to face it alone. You can lean on other people if you have to. Trust me, you're ready," he said.

Sora gave a full smile for the first time in years. "Thanks, Neku. Alright, I'll join."

Everyone grinned at him, and Sora felt truly happy for some strange reason. Someone burst through the room.

"Hey, you gotta evacuate! Weird purple monsters, they've invaded the city!" he said, panting really hard.

Sora gasped. Purple monsters? He flicked his wrist, and there appeared the Kingdom Key.

**Dreaming Demons/Hand to Hand on YouTube: watch?v=U0Y7Eemh8cA**

"We'll take care of it," Sora said, rushing outside.

Neku rushed next to him. "The rest of the group should be arriving soon, so watch for them!"

Sora nodded, and saw the sickly purple Heartless appearing before him. Sora glared at them.

"You guys again..." he hissed, swiping the Keyblade through one of the Shadows. it disappeared in an instant, and the others charged at Sora.

"Reflectga!" he yelled, shooting the Keyblade upwards. The Heartless were repelled by a shield.

Sora then dived into the ground. Literally.

"Sora!" Neku shouted, worried for his friend, but the brunette shot out of the ground, sailing on a line of shining light that joined between Heartless. They soon all disappeared.

"Woah! What was that?" Neku asked, impressed.

"Reality Shift. Faithline," Sora replied.

"Hey, do you mind?!" Shiki yelled, and she was being overwhelmed by Invisibles.

Sora did a Reality Shift again, while Neku used Kick Dive while in Flowmotion. One of them was down, and another blew up, killing the others. Sora jumped out.

"Code Break is fun," he said, grinning.

"You never told me you could do these kinds of things!" Neku exclaimed.

"You shoulda asked," Shiki muttered.

* * *

"Are we there yet, Leon!?" the blond male yelled at the pilot on the helicopter.

"For the last f*cking time, Zidane, NO! God..." came the reply.

Zidane groaned like an irritated child, flopping onto the seat.

"Patience is a good thing. One of life's little gifts. Got it memorized?" the redhead male said, tapping his forehead with his finger.

"Shut up, Axel," Zidane muttered.

"He's right," the spiky blond sitting across from Zidane chimed in, a giant sword resting beside him.

"I didn't ask for your opinion Cloud," Zidane muttered.

"Chill, Zidane. The people will be fine," the silverhead said.

"I don't care, Riku!" Zidane yelled.

"Just be patient!" the dirty blond shouted back.

"But I'm not, Tidus!" Zidane yelled.

"We'll be arriving in a few minutes," Leon called.

"By 'few,' you mean a half hour, right?" Zidane said, crossing his arms, turning his attention to the brunette pilot.

"Uh-huh."

Zidane kicked the seat. "This is bullcrap. Traverse City needs our help _now_."

"These things take time, pal," Axel said, leaning against the wall part.

After a few seconds, Zidane just flung open the door.

"I'm gonna jump!" he yelled.

Cloud got up. "That's suicide! Not to mention stupid and weird!"

Zidane grinned like an idiot. "You know what they say! It's only weird if it doesn't work!"

And with that, Zidane Tribal jumped out the side of a helicopter with nothing but clothing and his Mage Mashers.

"Riku, go after him," Cloud said.

"Why?" Riku retorted.

"Because you'll be okay," Axel bumped in.

Riku rolled his eyes. "You're just cowards. But fine."

And Riku jumped too, the Way to Dawn in his hand.

* * *

"We need to find the leader, fast!" Sora said, rushing towards the fountain plaza.

"Right!" the others said.

When they reached the fountain plaza, a huge Heartless appeared. Y'know, just a couple twenty or so Darksides. The giant ones with long Medusa hair and that empty heart chest thingy. At the center was a hooded man. A tattered and worn brown robe, and Sora nor could the others see his face.

"This world has been connected," it said before being engulfed by darkness.

The Darksides roared at the group, and Sora rushed them, slicing at their hands.

"Aim for the hands!" he yelled, and Rhyme, Beat, Shiki, and Neku rushed off towards the others.

He stuck his Keyblade into a hand, and the Darkside threw him aside. Sora fell into a wall, hearing a sickening crack sound. The Darkside charged up a punch, and then it was blasted with a ball of light. Sora watched with blurry vision as a boy descended down, great white wings in his back. He turned.

"You okay, Sora?" he asked, and Sora cast Curaga.

"I'm fine..." he began, and saw the boy's face.

"Joshua!" he exclaimed.

Joshua smirked. "We don't have time for conversation. Let's get 'em!"

Sora nodded, and saw a flash of light in the sky, followed by a "WHOOOOOOO!" And the pair watched Zidane Tribal strike and destroy a Darkside.

"Hey. Am I late?" he asked Joshua, who shook his head.

"Just in time, Monkey Boy," he replied.

Zidane grinned, and went off only to get struck by two Darkside. Sora went off, and used a Reality Shift. Joshua flew back into the air, and barely dodged Riku who also dove to do a Reality Shift. Sora leaped out.

"NIGHTMARE'S END!" he yelled.

Riku also jumped out.

"MIRAGE SPLIT!" he shouted.

Both teens' Keyblades became different (Sora's gold, Riku's cerulean) and fused. Each swung their respective side of the Keyblade, destroying six Darksides at once. They turned to each other.

"Who are you?" they said simultaneously.

"I'm Sora," Sora said.

"Riku," Riku said.

They went back to attacking. Four lights shined, and Axel, Leon, Tidus, and Cloud dived towards the remaining Darksides, destroying them in one blow. They turned to the group of teens. Tidus stomped over to Zidane.

**Traverse Town on YouTube: watch?v=br4IJiy9_VE**

"Zidane, you IDIOT!" he yelled, bonking the guy on his head.

"OW! What the hell!?" Zidane said, falling on his butt.

"Do you realize how worried we were?"

"You were worried? D'awww, you guys care for me!"

"We were worried only because Garnet would kill us if you had died! Do you realize how _scary_ that woman is!?"

Zidane rolled his eyes. "At least I know she likes me..."

Cloud chuckled, Axel burst out laughing, and Leon smiled. Leon almost never laughed, so they based it off his face gestures. Sora watched Zidane and Tidus argue. They reminded him of Beat and Rhyme. The two would fight if Rhyme was out too long, or Beat was reckless, and so on.

"Hey, at least the Heartless are gone," Cloud said, interrupting the ongoing arguement.

Zidane grinned. "He's right. Heh heh!"

Tidus smiled. Leon then turned his attention to Sora.

"So you're the new guy?" he asked.

Sora slowly nodded. "Apparently."

Leon pointed at the Keyblade. "So that's it? The Keyblade?"

Sora held it out. "Yes. I see Riku has one too."

Riku held out Way to Dawn. "It's the reason I'm here."

"Now that you're here, is there anything you need to talk about? Do you have any doubts?" Cloud asked, placing his sword on his shoulder in a true Cloud fashion.

"You seem to be having problems. You can always talk to any of us. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

Sora thought, and remembered his dream. "Well, I've been having dreams lately..."

Leon's eyes narrowed. He'd had his personal share of weird dreams, and was knowledgeable on ones where you're a different person. "What... kind of dreams?"

"Well... A type of, flashback," Sora said.

Cloud's gaze hardened. It was his time to shine. "What happened?"

**Ven Theme on YouTube: ****watch?v=GFDvcR7Ozbg**

Sora explained his dream. When he finished, Axel's eyes widened.

"A... green comet, you say?" he asked slowly.

Sora nodded. Axel ran a hand through his hair.

"I think I know who the ball of light is."

Sora gasped. "Who is it?"

Axel wiped his arm across his eyes. "It is a boy, no older than you, by the name of Ventus."

* * *

Terra sat in the park, looking out at the now setting sun.

"Ven, you would've loved this," he whispered.

"Who's... Ven?" a voice asked.

Terra flinched, and turned to see Roxas there. Terra was still surprised at the striking resemblance.

"Ven... he was my best friend. We did lots of things together. We sparred with our Keyblades, got ice cream, and just watched the stars sometimes. Then, a Heartless... It took... It took his heart," Terra said, holding back tears.

"But, didn't he become a Nobody? He should be here still, right?" Roxas asked, taking a seat next to Terra.

Terra shook his head. "Ven's heart was of pure light. Someone extracted the darkness from within him, and ran off with it. If there was darkness within Ven, he would be here with me, a Nobody. We'd keep doing things we loved as always, just waiting for Ven's body to replace the missing part. But there was no darkness. So Ven went into a coma, an endless one too."

Roxas looked at the grass. "I'm sorry. Where's his body now?"

Terra sighed. "I don't know. I left it at my house, but it was gone by dawn. Only one person knows where it it, and left a note, giving me a clue."

Terra pulled out the slightly aged scrap of paper. Roxas took it, and read it aloud.

"To you who cares for the slumbering light. I have hidden his body in a secret chamber. In a castle where all is lost to oblivion, and only I am the one who can make it out with my sanity. If you wish to find him, you will not be the same afterwards."

Roxas's jaw dropped. "I know where Ven is hidden."

Terra jumped up, and gripped Roxas's shoulders. "You do!? Where is he!?"

Roxas gulped. "Within the walls of Castle Oblivion."

Terra was about to ask more, but his phone rang.

"Hello?" he asked seriously.

"That you, Terra?" the voice at the other end asked.

"Yeah, Axel. What's up?"

"I found this guy with a connection to Ven. We know where Ven's heart lays. It's within the guy. You should come over to the hideout right away. Oh, and his name's Sora. Got it memorized?" Axel said, hanging up.

Terra dragged Roxas to his car, and drove off insanely fast.

"Terra, what's going on!?" Roxas yelled, gripping the sides of the car in fear.

"I'm going to see Ven again!" Terra said back, making a swiveling turn.

* * *

Aqua lay in her bed, staring at nothing but the ceiling. She was remembering when she took Ven's body.

"Why did I do that?" she whispered to herself.

She was told it was for the greater good by Master Eraqus. Aqua was about to go to bed when Xion and Kairi came through the bedroom door.

"We got a call from the Chosen Ones. They want us there now," she said.

Aqua sat up in her bed. "Why?"

"It's about some kid named Ventus or something..." Kairi began, but was cut off when Aqua dragged them both to her car, and drove off like a maniac.

"Aqua, slow down!" Xion screamed.

"NO! I'm going to see Ven!" she said, going faster.

* * *

"So, why am I having this dream?" Sora asked, sitting in the chair.

They had gone to the secret quarters below the music studio. It was exactly like the airship in Avengers, only there were no windows, a bar instead of a circular table and less computers and more chairs and tables. Plus tons of inn rooms.

"We think it's because Ven's heart went to you after it was stolen by Heartless," Cloud said, crossing his arms.

The group watched as the elevator came down, revealing Terra, Aqua, Roxas, Kairi, and Xion.

"I got the message. Sora, stab yourself," Terra demanded.

"Stab myself!? Why the hell would I do that?" Sora shouted.

Roxas gasped, taking a few steps back. "You..."

Everyone's eyes were on him. Roxas pointed at Sora with a shaky finger.

"You're him... I thought you looked familiar, but now that I look at you, I realize that... that..."

He stopped for a moment, and then whispered, "I'm you're Nobody."

"WHAT!?" everyone exclaimed.

"I'm Sora's Nobody! Don't you realize? He already released his heart, Ven's heart! It's already on it's way to Castle Oblivion, back to Ven's body!" Roxas exclaimed.

"So Axel called this meeting for nothing?" Leon said, wincing.

"Well, there's that Heartless invasion that was earlier, right?" Xion said.

Axel sighed in relief. Sora crossed his arms. "So what?"

"There was that robed man too. I don't like him," Rhyme said distastefully.

"Robed man?" Terra said, shock in his voice.

Neku nodded. "He said five words. 'This world has been connected.'"

That left everyone to count on their fingers, and realize that Neku was right.

"And there's the new guy," Zidane added.

Another sigh of relief from Axel. Leon smiled, and Cloud let out a small chuckle.

"He's experienced," Neku said.

"I think we chose well for our new member," Rhyme said.

"But how did you revive your body without destroying your Nobody?" Shiki asked, intrigued.

Sora was silent for a moment. "I don't know. I don't even remember turning into a Heartless."

Kairi was looking at the floor, quiet the whole time. Joshua noticed this.

"Kairi, do you have anything to say?" he asked.

"Hm? No, I don't think so," she said.

Sora's hand instantly went to his pocket. He pulled out the paopu necklace. He sighed nostalgically. Axel noticed this.

"What's that you got there, Sora?" he asked.

Sora looked up, pulled from memories. "Oh, it's nothing..."

Axel leaned forward. "C'mon, man. I'm just askin'."

Sora sighed. "It's a paopu necklace."

Zidane made an "Oooo" sound. Sora glared at him.

"She's dead," he said coldly.

Zidane's face fell. "Whoops..."

"Sora, you said that you weren't ready to face your past. What's the story behind that?" Neku asked suddenly.

Sora went quiet. "It goes like this..."

* * *

**Sad Princess on YouTube: watch?v=qvNh7hZnfXg**

Sora was fourteen when he and Namine were attacked. Attacked by Heartless. Sora fought them to protect Namine and keep his promise. He fought, and fought, but more and more kept appearing. Strong ones too. One person appeared. A figure in a black overcoat. Sora nor Namine could see its face, but glowing red eyes were inside. It gave a powerful kick to Sora's ribs, and he flew back on the concrete.

"Stop! Don't!" Namine cried out as the figure advanced to finish Sora.

"I said STOP!" she yelled, and the figure collapsed onto the floor.

The remaining Heartless retreated, but were replaced by something else. Nobodies. They turned to Namine, and hissed.

"No..." Sora mumbled.

The Nobodies then tackled Namine.

"NAMINE!" Sora yelled, and got up.

He dove into the ground, and used Nightmare's End. The Nobodies faded, but it was too late. Namine was dead.

* * *

"That's why I never used the Keyblade again," Sora said, holding it out. "It was too much pain. Namine and I were attacked because I was a Keyblade wielder."

Everyone was quiet, and was looking at the floor. Kairi actually began to cry. "That's such a sad story..."

Sora walked over to her. "You actually remind me of Namine."

Kairi looked up. "I-Is that a... c-compliment?"

Sora nodded, and pulled out the paopu fruit necklace. "Do you have anything like this?"

Aqua gasped. "Are you giving that to her!?"

"I'm asking if she has anything like it. Does she?" Sora replied, clasping the chain harder.

Aqua shook her head. Kairi looked away, and Xion frowned. Sora felt all his hope crushed.

"I see," he said stiffly, and walked back to the elevator.

Sora looked at Kairi, and saw a flash of blond. Namine was in Kairi's place, and she was in her standard white lace dress and sky blue sandals. She looked at Sora, looking about to cry. He tore away from her gaze, choking back the tears.

"I thought you were her," he said sadly before going to an inn room and using the noise cancelling feature.

* * *

"Why did you lie?" Xion asked Aqua right after Sora's footsteps faded.

Aqua sighed. "I honestly don't know. Something told me Kairi was better off without him."

Kairi said nothing, and walked into one of the inn rooms. Terra leaned against a wall, looking away. Axel went off to an inn room. Roxas did the same. Xion soon went into her own inn room, as did Cloud, Leon, Beat, Rhyme, Neku, and Shiki. That left Terra and Aqua.

"So, why _did_ you lie?" Terra asked after some silence.

Aqua bit her lip. "They're Keyblade wielders. I don't want him or Kairi to experience another loss. They won't be able to move on a second time."

"So you're saying that they love each other?" Terra asked, looking at her.

"Not yet. They will warm to each other. Then they'll want to protect the other just as much... And won't stay focused on missions."

"I wouldn't count on it. You didn't see Sora on the battlefield. He will stay focused. I don't know about Kairi... But Sora will be fine."

"But what if he's not?"

"He will be. And are you saying this because you've gone through the same thing?" Terra said, narrowing his eyes.

Aqua looked away. "No. Not exactly."

* * *

Sora stared at the ceiling. Why did Namine take Kairi's place? He pulled out the paopu necklace, and saw Kairi reflected in it.

"Why did you lie, Aqua?" he asked.

**The longest and saddest chapter I have ever written... Is this one. You better learn something from this!**


	5. Chapter 5

**WTF ARE THE REVIEWS!?**

Sora walked out, and saw Neku there. He was sitting in a chair, looking at something in his hand.

"What's that, Neku?" Sora asked.

Neku looked up, pulling the thing away.

"I-It's nothing," he stammered.

Sora sat in the chair across his friend. "You can tell me. If it's a secret, I'll keep it. We all have our... things, but remember, you can always ask for help."

Neku had a small smile on his face. "You're learning."

"I have my teachers," Sora responded, a smile also playing on his lips.

Neku sighed, and held out his right hand. On it was black numbers, reminiscent of a red outline.

00:01

They looked like they were carved straight into Neku's hand.

"What... is that?" Sora asked.

"Remnants... Of my past," Neku said, retreating his hand back into his pocket.

Just then, an inn room door opened, revealing Leon.

"Morning, Leon," Neku said nonchalantly.

Leon looked in their direction, eyebrows raised. "You're up early."

"Felt like the right time."

"By the way, new kid's gonna have to meet everyone."

"Everyone? You didn't do that when _I_ joined!" Neku protested.

"This is a special exception. He's a Keyblade wielder," Leon replied with his monotone voice.

Soon another inn room opened, and out came Tidus, dragging an unconscious Zidane out.

"Tidus?" Neku asked.

Tidus turned. "Oh. Hey guys."

"What are you doing?" Leon asked, eyes narrowing.

"Taking out Zidane for some blitzball."

"You wouldn't dare! Remember what happened last time?" Neku said, standing up.

Zidane opened his eyes. "The hell...?"

"You're awake. Whew..." Leon said.

Zidane jumped up. "Was Tidus about to throw another blitzball at my head?"

Tidus groaned. "I wish..."

Cloud stepped out of his room. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing much," Sora said.

"Oh, I forgot. We're going to take you to meet everyone else," Leon said.

"Everyone else?" Sora asked.

"The Chosen Ones are a _very _large group."

"Keyword: very!" Zidane piped up.

Neku looked excited. "Let's go!"

* * *

They got there, enduring Neku's voice being heard the entire time. Tidus and Zidane crushed each other between the exit, trying to get out.

"I'm going first!" Zidane yelled.

"No, me!" Tidus shouted.

"I gotta see Garnet!"

"I gotta check if Wakka hasn't screwed up!"

"My deed's more important! She'll kill me if I don't!"

"Well, I'm paying the bill if I don't!"

It was at this point Sora shoved them both out. They scrambled to their feet, dashing in opposite directions.

**Yuna Theme on YouTube: watch?v=wRlg4bRfPbU**

"Hello," a female voice said.

Neku's MP3 player burst to life, while Tidus and Zidane literally stopped in mid pose, Zidane in the air, and Tidus almost tripping. Both turned their heads, and saw her. Leon walked past the woman, and turned to her.

"Hey, Yuna," he said, emotionless.

The Gunblade wielder turned, and saw Tidus and Zidane side by side, glaring at him.

"That is no way to talk to a woman!" Zidane declared gallantly.

"The monkey's right! A woman of that beauty is not to be treated so!" Tidus agreed, pointing a finger to the sky like a knight.

"Monkey?" Zidane hissed.

Yuna giggled, and both monkey and Tidus grinned sheepishly.

"She's mine," Tidus whispered to Zidane.

"Fine, I wasn't interested anyway," Zidane whispered back.

"You're only saying that because Garnet's right behind you."

Zidane's face went blank. It was then he heard Garnet clear her throat. Zidane turned, laughing half heartedly.

"Hiya, Garnet..." he said.

"ZIDANE TRIBAL!" she shouted.

Zidane flinched, falling out of fear. "Y-Yes...?"

She placed her hands on her hips, the shadow in her glare making it more terrifying. Zidane gulped. Then she tackled him into a hug.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" she said, burying her face into the monkey's tail.

"Y-Yes, I'm alive..." he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her body.

Sora smiled at the little scene. "How sweet..."

Neku punched him in the shoulder, grinning. "The term is 'endearing,' dummy."

Shiki giggled. Yuna smiled. Leon rolled his eyes, and continued walking.

"Sora, we gotta meet everyone else. Let's go," he said coldly, gesturing everyone else to follow.

"He didn't have to be so mean," Yuna said.

"He wasn't always like this," Tidus finally said.

"The boy's right," Cloud said out of nowhere, walking up to them and placing his sword on his shoulder as usual.

Garnet let go of Zidane, and the two stood up.

"What happened?" Shiki asked.

"Lost love?" Sora said.

"Bingo," Cloud replied.

"He don't have to be so... so..." Beat couldn't get the right word out.

"Steely?" Rhyme suggested.

"Yeah! Steely, yo," Beat said proudly.

Everyone shared a small chuckle.

"I heard that," Leon called.

Everyone began following him. Yuna soon began veering in a different direction.

"Where you going?" Tidus asked, the first one noticing this.

"Mission stuff," Yuna said, and began walking off.

Tidus frowned, a bit upset that she didn't even turn around. Leon just kept walking.

* * *

"This place is a giant maze of houses, hideouts, and the like," Leon said as he led the group left.

"Here, we protect the worlds. There are more than one million of them. Since we choose people from specific worlds, we divided it into several sections. There are two rules: Don't go into other sections, and don't pass it off as an 'accident.' And each section has its 'Boss.' The Boss manages his or her own section, and never interferes with other Bosses."

The small group reached a steel door. Leon typed in a code on the nearby keypad, and it opened, revealing a small elevator.

"Alright, get in," he said.

"WHAT!?" Tidus said with Zidane.

"What's wrong?" Rhyme asked.

"I'm not going in an elevator with this guy! Remember what happened last time!?" Zidane protested.

"Hey! It was an accident!" Tidus countered.

"Calling standing on my tail an 'accident' ain't gonna cut it!"

"Calm down, yo! You two can sit far from each otha!" Beat said, pushing them apart.

The two grumbled in agreement, standing on opposite sides of the elevator, and glaring at each other the whole time. Some elevator music came on.

"Not Alone, huh? Nice choice," Neku commented.

**Not Alone on YouTube: watch?v=K6Fe9EUMdLE**

Zidane nodded his head with the music. "This brings back memories..."

Sora tapped his thighs in beat with the music. "You have no idea..."

They stepped out of the elevator, and the music stopped. Leon looked at the group.

"Here is where everyone hangs out. You meet tons of people this way," he said, and left.

Neku went to the first person he saw. "Hiya!"

Cloud immediately looked at who Neku was talking to, and began slowly inching towards where his room was.

"Cloud! Where ya goin', yo?" Beat said, blowing the blond's cover.

The brunette woman who Neku was talking to turned. "Cloud?"

Zidane grinned mischievously. "He's over there."

"Zidane!" Cloud protested.

"C'mon, man! How many times do we have to tell you? You gotta-" Tidus was cut off by Cloud covering his mouth.

"Shut up!" Cloud said, and everyone could see his slightly pink face.

"Hey, Cloud!" the woman said cheerily.

Cloud gulped. "H-hey, Tifa..."

Neku grinned cheesily. "Aah, love..."

Shiki leaned her head on Neku's shoulder.

"Awww!" Sora and Rhyme cooed, while Beat just laughed.

Neku buried his face into the funnel of his shirt. "Shut up."

**Remember, I have a poll that will decide the future of "A Chance Encounter." Vote on it!**


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